(2): “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”
(6-7): “Don’t exalt yourself in the presence of the king, or claim a place among great men;
for it is better that it be said to you, ‘Come up here,’ than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen.”
(15): “By patience a ruler is persuaded. A soft tongue breaks the bone.”
“We need to be reminded of who we really are, and who we have the potential to be.”1
All of us need to be encouraged.
We may already know this, but it can be helpful to be reminded.
We may also know & believe what we are being encouraged about OR for; however, a gentle reminder goes along way.
The person you are encouraging may know everything you are encouraging them about to be true.
It is still helpful. Encouragement is always powerful. All people need encouragement. Even leaders that appear powerful.
It can be appropriate to give someone encouragement & praise because of what they have accomplished.
It can be appropriate to give someone encouragement, recognition, & praise because of what they have achieved.
It can also be appropriate to give someone encouragement, recognition, & praise because of what they are currently doing.
Encourage who someone is: the underlying characteristics of that person. The internal qualities that person has chosen to develop.
The aspects of our character that person has asked GOD to strengthen & bless. Aspects like: mercy, forgiveness, love, hopefulness, faith, endurance, helpfulness, etc….
Example of When I Need Encouragement
When I come across hard drugs, I find it helpful to encourage myself: “I am not a person that requires drugs to cope with my life.”
However, I find it even more helpful when someone I care about echoes this process back to me, “Eric, you know you are not a person that uses hard drugs to cope or enjoy your life.”
The encouragement doesn’t remove the desire to sin or made a bad choice. The encouragement simply makes it easier to make the right choice.
The better path can be relative.
That better path may not always look like a better path from the outside.
If I had not received encouragement, it is possible & likely I would have fallen into a worse path/choice. This doesn’t mean you are at fault for the person’s choices.
It is possible that your encouragement can provide the strength they need to make a better choice.
(2: NIV): “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.”
(6-7: NKJV): “Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, And do not stand in the place of the great; For it is better that he say to you, ‘Come up here,’
Than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen.”
(15: HCSB): “A ruler can be persuaded through patience, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.”
In order to encourage the internal character qualities of others, it is helpful to know them.
What are some ways you can know your loved ones? What are some ways you can know your co-workers? What are some ways you can know your boss?
What drives these individuals? What gives these individuals meaning? What do your family members care about? What wakes up & energies your loved ones?
Don’t be so goal driven that you lose sight of the individuals on your team. Their health, wellbeing, goals, and family lives are all important. Your team won’t be a team for long, if you don’t demonstrate care & encouragement. People can only be starved for so long before they wither away or join a team that feeds them better.
(2): “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”
(6-7): “Don’t exalt yourself in the presence of the king, or claim a place among great men;
for it is better that it be said to you, ‘Come up here,’ than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen.”
(15): “By patience a ruler is persuaded. A soft tongue breaks the bone.”
- Jordan Montgomery & John C. Maxwell, “The Art of Encouragement”, Ch.3 ↩︎
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